Friday 22 February 2013

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius Granted Bail


South African athlete Oscar Pistorius, who faces murder charges over the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, has been granted bail after a four-day hearing.
The blade runner was granted bail by a South African court this afternoon after a judge ruled he was not a flight risk. He will be free to go home until the start of his trial for shooting dead girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Thursday February 14th
Magistrate Desmond Nair said the state had not made a case that he would flee, or that he had a violent character.
The Paralympic sprinter denies murder, saying he shot Reeva Steenkamp thinking she was an intruder at his home.
The next hearing in the case has been set for 4 June. Bail was set at 1m rand (£72,000; $113,000).
He was ordered to hand over his passport, avoid his home in Pretoria and report to a police station between 07:00 and 13:00 every Monday and Friday.
The magistrate also said he had difficulty understanding why Mr Pistorius had 
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Mr Pistorius's family and supporters in the court gasped and cheered as the magistrate announced he would be freed on bail.
Mr Pistorius made history in Lonndon by becoming the first double-amputee to run in the Olympics, making the semi-final of the 400m.

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